


I Put A Spell On You (Because You’re Mine)

by caesar



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Demons, M/M, Semi Slow Burn, Tags will be updated as needed, Werewolves, Witch Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Witchcraft, ereri, other supernatural elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-28
Updated: 2018-12-28
Packaged: 2019-09-29 14:33:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17205173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caesar/pseuds/caesar
Summary: After waking up in the Forest of the Lost, remembering nothing of how he got there, covered in blood, and far from home, Eren stumbles upon a town and asks for help from the first person he comes across.Fortunately for Eren, he comes across the only person who can help him. Little does Eren know that this mysterious man is not just a witch, but one of the few carriers of the most powerful kind of magic known to man.





	I Put A Spell On You (Because You’re Mine)

“ _ Harlot! _ ”   
  
“ _ Bride of Satan! _ ”   
  
“ _ Witch! _ ”   
  
She is bound to the stake, her wrists tied around the stake behind her, her body bruising and bleeding as stones are pelted at her. Words are screamed at her, condemning her to Hell, and crosses are held up in her direction as people prayed aloud. She grits her teeth, her eyes scanning the crowd, and she’s thankful she doesn’t spot the familiar dark eyes of her son. However, her already labored breathing hitches as she meets the gaze of her brother, watching from an alley to the side of the mob, his expression grave. Tears cloud her vision and she raises her head, holding her chin high.

 

“She raises her gaze to Heaven—she will curse us when she speaks. Light the fire!” The bishop bellows as he holds a cross embezzled with jewels and gold. A townsperson throws his lit torch at the wood beneath her feet, and the flames begin to spread to the other wood surrounding her.

 

She grinds her teeth together as she groans in pain, tears streaming down her cheeks. “You burn the wrong witch. You will pay for your crimes against man, you filthy heretics, using the name of the Lord to justify your killing. Rest assured there  _ will _ be righteous judgement you servants of evil!”

 

“Kuchel Ackermann, we pray that the Lord condemns your soul to Hell where it belongs, for the crimes of heresy and witchcraft. God be with you, witch!” The bishop shouts in turn, a wicked smile present on his wrinkled face as he watches the fire grow. 

 

Kuchel shrieks as her feet begin to burn, the flames licking the skin of her calves, only consuming more of her as she burns. She looks again one last time to where her brother stood, only to shut her eyes again as she cannot see past the head of the fire and excruciating pain.

 

_ Kenny, please protect Levi. _

 

_ Levi… _

 

Her screams echo in the square and against the walls of the cathedral behind the burning stake.

 

From afar on a rooftop, a young boy cries to himself, covering his mouth to muffle his sobs as Kuchel burns.

  
—   
  
His body aches.   
  
When he opens his eyes, he is blinded by the sunlight. The wind that blows chills his exposed skin, and he’s suddenly aware of how very nude he is, and he’s exposed in the midst of the forest. It’s the end of winter with the air still biting, yet he isn’t bothered by the chill. He rolls into his stomach, stumbling to his feet, and he yells in shock as his vision focuses on his hands.   
  
They’re stained red with dry blood.   
  
He looks himself over and he sees it splattered on his chest, and when he runs his face on his arm, more smears on his skin.   
  
Panic consumes him— _ who’s blood is this? _   
  
He runs aimlessly, the sun setting until the sky is dyed orange and red. He finally stumbles on a town when the forest thins out, and no one is outside and it feels as if the town is empty with how still it is. He runs to the first house he spots: the last house closest to the forest. He covers himself with one hand and bangs on the door with the other.   
  
“Please, help me!” He pleads.   
  
The door opens just enough for a face to be seen, and he thinks it’s possibly the most beautiful face he’s ever come across. The man is shorter than he, with angular features and dark hair and eyes to match. “Why are you covered in blood?” The man asks warily, his voice low.   
  
Tears fill his eyes as he tries to think, tries to remember,  _ why can’t I remember? _ “I don’t know.”   
  
The man regards him with an unreadable expression before opening the door wide enough for him to enter. He walks in eagerly and is very aware of how dirty he is, covered in blood and earth, and he stands at the entryway nervously as the man shuts and locks the door. The man disappears into another room for some time, leaving him standing awkwardly by the front door, afraid to ruin anything if he touches it. The man returns, gesturing toward him. “Come,” the man tells him, voice firm, and he leads him through the house to a spotless bathroom. The tub is filled with water and there’s a towel hanging over the sink. “Clean off. I’ll find clothes that may fit you.” The man hesitated as he turns to the door, his hand on the doorknob. “Do you have a name?”   
  
He nods, bowing his head after. “Eren Yeager. Thank you for your kindness, sir.”   
  
The man’s face turns away from him, hiding the flush of color that’s on his face. “Just call me Levi.”   
  
Eren smiles even though Levi can’t see it, who quickly makes his exit. The smile falters as he steps into the tub nervously, and he’s surprised to find the water warm—it was so little time for the water to be warmed at all—and he sits down. He scrubs at himself and the water turns a murky color as he scrubs off the blood and dirt, and eventually the water runs cold and he’s rubbing himself raw to remove blood that’s no longer there. Eren is crying as he cleans himself, angry that he cannot recall the previous night.   
  
_ Why was I bloody? Whose blood was all over me? Why was I in the Forest of the Lost? Where am I? _   
  
Questions with no answers flood his mind and his tears fall down his cheeks, and he is startled when there’s a knock at the door before it opens enough for Levi to peek in.   
  
“I want to make sure you didn’t drown. You’ve been in here a long time,” Levi explains, casting his gaze at the floor respectfully. “I’m leaving clean clothes by the door. Do you need anything at the moment?”   
  
“I think I’m alright,” Eren answers with what he hopes is confidence but his shaking voice betrays him. Levi hums in acknowledgement and leaves Eren to climb out of the tub, pulling the stopper as he does so. He dries off and he doesn’t need to look at the mirror to know he looks a mess. His skin is an angry red at how viciously he scrubbed himself clean, and he’s marked up with shallow scratches. He leaves the towel on the side of the tub and puts on the clothes Levi left out—a white shirt and pants—and while the pants fall above his ankles and his shirt shows his midriff, they ultimately fit well enough. Eren walks out, looking around. He realizes he’s in Levi’s personal bathroom as he is standing in a bedroom that’s sparsely decorated but neatly organized. He follows the sound of a knife on a cutting board until he’s in the kitchen where Levi is cutting up vegetables. There’s a fireplace where a pot of stew sits over it, and Levi doesn’t turn to acknowledge Eren’s entrance.   
  
“Thank you again for your hospitality, Levi,” Eren says shyly, and Levi grunts in response. “What town is this?”   
  
Levi dumps the vegetables in the pot before finally looking at Eren. “You’re in Orvud.” Eren’s eyes widen at the name, his stomach dropping. Levi’s neutral expression shifts slightly as he raises an eyebrow. “How far is your home?”   
  
“I—I don’t know. I’ve never traveled here before. I’m from Shiganshina,” Eren tells him, tears filling his eyes again. His head spins and he sits down at the small table between them. Levi’s eyes widen a little at the name and he sits across from Eren, holding the brunette’s gaze.   
  
“Shiganshina is about a week’s worth of travel away on horseback, up to two if you don’t go through the Forest of the Lost. Did you walk the whole way?”   
  
Eren shakes his head, panic settling in his chest again. “I don’t know. I—I remember walking around the woods with Mikasa and Armin—“ Eren cuts himself off and his face is full of horror as he looks down at his palms. “Is it  _ their  _ blood I washed off my hands?”   
  
Levi reaches across the table, taking one of Eren’s hands in both his, startling the boy. Eren stares at his hand in Levi’s, and the gentle hold eases his racing heart. “Eren.” At the sound of his name falling from Levi’s lips, he meets his eyes again. “Tell me what you remember before coming here.”   
  
“I—“ Eren takes a deep breath to steady himself as he tries to remember, “I was with Armin and Mikasa. We were walking around the woods near my town because someone said the woods come alive differently at the full moon. We—well, I—wanted to see if it was true, so we went out in the full moon. We were wandering, laughing, just like when we were kids. After I woke up in the forest, I ran until I stumbled upon your town.”   
  
Levi nods as he takes in this information, silent in turn. Eren takes the man’s moment of thought to look over his appearance. It seems that Levi, while small, seems to be somewhat fit; Eren can see shapely muscles around Levi’s collarbone and shoulders that’s exposed by the loose shirt he wears, and his hands are calloused and rough as he holds Eren’s hand in a gesture of comfort, indicating he uses his hands in work. He is likely older than Eren. He sees a black rosary necklace around Levi’s neck, painted so dark he almost missed it against his black shirt. Eren nearly sighs in relief as he realizes that he’s in the home of a person of the Church, and thus not in the home of a witch—albeit, he probably doesn’t have room to be thankful, considering he likely killed last night.

 

“Do you need help going back home?” Levi withdraws his hand from Eren’s, yet he still holds his gaze once Eren looks back up at his face.

 

Eren blinks, his head swimming at the offer. “I—I do, but I can’t possibly ask you to go with me. The Forest is too dangerous!”

 

“If a brat like you can survive for several days and nights, I think that I can manage,” Levi replies in a bored voice, but his eyes glittered with a knowing gleam that Eren doesn’t miss. He widens his eyes, wondering how Levi can be so confident.

 

“But we’ll surely die!” Eren protests.

 

Levi sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. “We will make preparations, you whining child. I may know the Forest but that doesn’t mean it won’t turn against us. We’ll leave by the end of next week.” He gestures to the sofa behind them near the hearth where the fire is burning. “You’ll sleep there at night, and help me with chores in the daytime. I could use a strapping young man around the house.” Levi reaches across the table to pat Eren’s hand gently in what he might interpret as a sign of affection. “Go rest, you’re surely exhausted. I’ll wake you when the stew is ready so you can eat.” Eren opens his mouth to object, but Levi hardens his expression. “I’m not asking, boy.”

 

Eren heaves a sigh, but obliges. He lays on the sofa with his feet closest to the fireplace, wiggling his toes as they warm up.

 

Exhaustion comes over him like a blanket, and his eyes fall shut as the world around him goes dark.

 

-

 

In his dreams, there’s screams.

 

_ “What’s wrong with him? Armin, what’s wrong?” _

 

_ “I don’t know—he’s, his bones are moving—“ _

 

_ “Eren, talk to me! Let us help you!” _

 

_ “No, Mikasa, get back! Look!” _

 

_ They scream in terror, backing away with fear in their eyes. From his place on the ground, he watches Armin grab Mikasa’s arm and lead her away, breaking into a sprint. He watches them disappear into the darkness of the trees, and his voice rips from his throat in an animalistic cry. _

 

_ Something moves across his path and he reaches out with a hand that looks like that of a beast’s, ripping into flesh and feeling the warmth of blood drip over his hand. _

 

_ ‘I need to kill them all…’ _

 

Awaking with a start, Eren gasps and his eyes shoot open. Once his vision focuses, he realizes that Levi is sitting over him, his hand splayed across Eren’s chest to hold him in place. Realizing that Eren is properly awake—although, only just—Levi lets out a deep breath and sits back. Eren manages to sit up as Levi hands him a metal pitcher of water. Eren gladly drinks, his hair clinging to his forehead with a cold sweat. He drains half the pitcher before gasping for air, the room focusing before him. He feels a chill and he realizes he’s stripped to his trousers. 

 

“You’ve been out for two days, kid.” Levi takes the pitcher from Eren, setting it on the ground beside the sofa, and then looking up again at Eren. He reaches out and presses the back of his hand against his forehead, and then to Eren’s stomach, causing him to jump back slightly in surprise. “You gave me a real fright. You’ve had an awful fever like no other—honestly, I didn’t think you’d make it. Seems to be gone now, though you’re still hot to the touch. Are you normally so warm?”

 

Eren tries to think, processing the question. “I think—“ he remembers his mother always remarking how she can’t easily tell when he’s sick because he’s a walking furnace, and then he nods, “Yeah, I am. Always have been since I was a kid.”

 

Levi snorts. “You’re practically still a kid.”

 

“Am not! I’m a man in my village, I just hadn’t gotten trained into the Scouts yet. They’re going to start training in Spring.” Eren makes a frustrated face, but to Levi, he just thinks that he’s pouting. It’s an enjoyable sight and it makes his lips curve in a small smile.

 

Levi reaches up and ruffles Eren’s hair as he picks up the pitcher, handing it back to Eren as he stands. “Drink. I’ll warm some food for you. You’ll need your strength.”

 

“What for?”

 

There’s a pregnant pause between them as Levi regards Eren with calculating eyes. “If you want to make it as a Scout, you’ll need to survive the journey through the Forest with me. For that, we’ll need to have you train before we leave.” He glances at the pitcher. “Drink,” he repeats, “and I will bring you a proper meal.”

 

-

 

Levi is a man of his word. He feeds Eren real meals, but in exchange he expects help around the house that Eren is more than happy to provide. Eren gathers and chops firewood, skins small animals Levi brings inside for meals, and he (after being taught how to thoroughly do so) cleans the house. Levi is often in his garden, hunting in the Forest, or preparing something—although it’s not always food— in the kitchen. He has sparring sessions with Eren out the back at dusk, out of sight of the villagers who all seem to avoid acknowledging Levi’s home even exists. It’s during one of these training sessions a week and a half later that Eren finally asks Levi about it.

 

“Why doesn’t anyone talk to you? You never go in the village, but they don’t ever visit with you, either,” Eren asks through ragged breaths as he gets to his feet, having been knocked down by Levi’s quick movements. “It’s almost like they avoid you.”

 

Levi narrows his eyes, rushing at Eren as he prepares his stance, throwing the younger man off guard and narrowly missing landing a punch at his cheek. “It’s none of your concern, Eren, what the town thinks of an old man like me.” He twists, his elbow making contact with Eren’s shoulder, who stumbles back. Eren grits his teeth and steps forward, frustration fueling his confidence, and he grabs Levi’s arm and moves to twist it behind him, ending in Levi being useless as Eren grips his arm harshly. While Eren thinks he has the spar, Levi raises his leg and kicks back, hitting Eren in the knee, who releases his grip and shouts in pain.

  
  


“Fucking hell!” Eren falls to the ground, clutching his aching knee. “God damn, Levi, why did you have to do that?”

 

“You need to not let down your guard until you  _ know _ that you’ve won the fight, Eren. Otherwise you’ll get yourself killed,” Levi growls, chest heaving as he catches his breath.

 

“But no one lives in the Forest of the Lost! Why must I train to fight people?” Eren asks, confused and irritated with how incessant Levi is today.

 

Stepping toward Eren, Levi grips his long, messy brown hair and forces his gaze to meet his own. “You needn’t ask why you fight, but how, you whining brat. Now,” he forcibly shoves Eren’s face down and steps away, taking up a defensive stance again, “stand and  _ fight _ . We’re not finished here.”

 

Eren gets to his feet, his right knee throbbing, and he raises his fists to mirror Levi’s stance. Breathing heavily, he quickly scans over Levi’s posture—his body may seem like it’s tiring, but his feet are firm in the ground, albeit he noticed that he favors being on the balls of his feet for fast, agile movements. He doesn’t prefer to attack directly, but instead redirect incoming attacks against his assailant. Eren takes a step forward, watching Levi brace himself, and he moves to lunge at Levi, but he stumbles as Levi rushes him and tackles him to the ground, all while someone else squeaks in surprise.

 

The men are so focused on their spar that they both look threatening as they turn to face the newcomer—or rather, Levi looks at her with a menacing face, and Eren struggles to get his face out from the dirt.

 

“Talia, what the hell do you want?” Levi growls at the child, who’s wide eyes are brimming with tears.

 

“Sir Levi, please come help! Mama is hurt real bad!” The young girl runs off, kicking up dirt behind her as she scurries off home. Levi is suddenly off of Eren and bolts inside, coming back out almost instantly with a large bag over his shoulder.

 

“Come with me. You’re not to be left alone here.” Levi’s voice carries authority, conveying a command. Eren wordlessly follows, hurrying after Levi into town. They come across a small home after running for about ten minutes, and they rush in quickly to find a woman hunched over a basin at a table, vomiting up blood. A teenage boy is holding her upright, holding back tears of his own. Talia is staring at Levi with questioning, frightened eyes.

 

“She hasn’t stopped. It came on suddenly and she can’t talk,” Talia explains.

 

Levi rushes to the woman’s other side, pushing her blonde hair back and forcing her to look at him as she finishes a bout of vomiting. Her eyes are dilated, her irises almost nonvisible as her pupils are blown completely, making her eyes looks black. Her skin is pasty white with a green undertone, giving her the appearance of death. He sniffs her breath and coughs as he does so. “Toby, fetch me a clean bowl,” Levi orders the boy, who doesn’t hesitate to do as he’s told. “Eren, get out the mortar and pestle from my bag, and the tube of yellow leaves.” Eren obeys, yet he fumbles with the different tubes and jars in the bag, his hands shaking as he holds a thin tube with dainty looking yellow leaves. Levi snatches it from his hands, pulling out the contents and beginning to crush it in the mortar and pestle, hurriedly making a small pulp from the leaves.

 

“What’s wrong with her?” Toby asks in a shaky voice.

 

“She’s been poisoned,” Levi states simply, his voice harsh. He moves to the bowl that Toby placed in front of him on the table and with a wave of his hand, it’s filled halfway with fresh water, steaming as if hot. Eren’s eyes widen in shock, but the two children are unphased. Levi adds the mashed leaves in one hand, pulling out another tube with a black liquid. He opens the tube, sniffing it once and then wrinkling his nose in disgust. Then, with a steady hand he adds one drop to the mixture, turning the contents of the liquid black as night, reeking of rot. Eren covers his nose and mouth, repulsed by the stench. The woman is heaving over her basin, blood dripping from the corners of her mouth and down her chin in a grotesque sight. Levi lifts the bowl to the woman’s open mouth, his face twisted in focus and distaste simultaneously. “Bottoms up, mum,” he grumbles as he holds her head back, pouring the mixture down her throat. She’s gagging as she swallows but Levi holds her head in place, forcing her to down the contents of his mixture. Once the bowl is empty, he tosses it as Toby without glancing, who nearly drops it. The woman sputters and coughs, and Levi finally lets her head go as she spits out globs of black mucus, dry heaving. Her head rolls on her shoulders, and Toby rushes to her side to steady her.

 

“Mum,” he cries out, holding her and looking to Levi. “Is she okay?”

 

Levi nods, his expression stony. “She will be. Did she drink a tonic before you came for me?”

 

“Yes!” Talia nods, stepping to her brothers side to be close to her mother. “A knight gave it to us in return for vegetables from the garden.”

 

“That knight is not a friend. He tainted it with arsenic. I could smell it on her breath,” Levi tells the children. “Toss the bottle out and dump the rest—dump it  _ away _ from the house. It’s extremely flammable.” Toby nods profusely in understanding.

 

“Yes, Sir Levi.”

 

Levi rolls his eyes in annoyance. “I told you, boy, it’s just Levi.” Eren almost grins at Levi’s aversion to honorifics, but the woman groaning again keeps his amusement at bay. “Take care of your mother. Give it a few hours and she’ll be able to eat. Eren, come; we’re taking our leave.”

 

Eren, bewildered by the entire scenario, simply nods and follows Levi out the door. Talia calls to them from the threshold as they are a few steps away. “Thank you, Levi!” Levi waves his hand in response, not looking back. Eren furrows his eyebrows as he tries to piece together everything that happened in such a brief moment in time.

 

“Levi, you’re—“

 

“Shut up.” Levi is curt and harsh, stopping suddenly, silencing Eren instantly as he does the same. 

 

There’s the sound of boots stepping on the pavement and out from an alley steps two knights, grinning nastily at them. They adorn regular Military Police uniforms, the telltale unicorn crest on their sleeves. “Well, well, if it isn’t little Levi. Find yourself more shit to brew?” One of them laughs. Eren sees Levi’s shoulders tense, his hands still at his sides. The other knight—a shorter, stockier man—steps closer to Eren, standing beside Levi.

 

“Find yourself a pet, Ackermann?”

 

“Just a friend, John,” Levi answers cooly. “We’re on our way home.”

 

“From where?” The taller one asks, leaning in close to Levi, who doesn’t back away, instead holding his gaze evenly. “Casting more spells, making potions?”

 

“You’re spending too much time with the ladies, Mateo. You’re spouting wives tales,” Levi retorts calmly. Mateo’s expression turns into one of anger instead of amusement, and he straightens to his full height.

 

“You filthy heretic, what did you say?!” Without waiting for an answer, Mateo pulls back a fist and aims to hit Levi, who side steps the hit and, pulling a knife that was hidden in his belt, slicing open a nasty wound in Mateo’s forearm.

 

“Keep your dirty hands off of me,” Levi snarls. Eren, too focused on Levi, is blindsided by John tackling him, but he quickly manages to find a second of balance and knees John in the chest, making the man stumble off of him. Eren takes the opportunity to land a clean punch across John’s face, blood dripping from the man’s nose. John shouts in pain and fury and hastily returns the attack by hitting Eren in the jaw, pain shooting up Eren’s head as a tooth flies to the ground.

 

John wipes his face, smearing blood across his cheeks. “A pansy bitch and a son of a fucking witch. You’ll be dead for that like his mum.” The taste of metal fills his mouth and he lunges at John, managing to get him to the ground. He sits on the policeman’s chest and repeatedly punches his face, the skin on his knuckles splitting, blood dripping from his mouth. The taste of his own blood spurs something primal, something instinctive in him.

 

_ Kill them. _

 

“Eren!” Lexi grabs Eren by his shirt and pulls roughly, bringing the younger man to his feet. “We need to leave _ now _ .” Dazed, Eren just nods and follows Levi, stepping over the bleeding body of Mateo,  sprinting back to the small house. They reach it faster than they left, run inside, and slam the door shut. Levi kicks aside his house shoes and grabs a pair of black boots that sat untouched by the door, quickly lacing them up. “I don’t have better shoes to give you so you’ll have to deal with yours.” Levi straightens and rushes to the small kitchen, opening the cabinet and tossing everything that’s in a jar or tube into his bag, along with small metal bowls. He’s grumbling about how he doesn’t have the right bag for travel but it’ll have to do. He then turns to his bedroom, disappearing for a moment and then re-emerging with a second bag, tossing it at Eren. “Simple change of clothes. We’re leaving for the Forest.” Without waiting, he leaves out the back door to his small garden and Eren, mind spinning, follows. Levi is picking flowers and produce, placing them all on a cloth and then rolling it gingerly, placing it in his bag.

 

Eren finally finds his voice and yells, frustrated, “You’re a damn witch!”

 

“Shout it for the whole town to hear, why don’t you!” Levi shouts in turn, whirling around to stand up in front of Eren. He grabs the front of Eren’s shirt and pulls him to his level, fury alight in his eyes. “I’m your only hope of getting home alive and finding out why you came to me in nothing but blood. So if you’ll grow up and shut up, you’ll follow me to the Forest before they come to  _ burn us both _ .” Levi shoves Eren away before storming off in the direction of the Forest of the Lost. Eren shouts angrily before following, breaking into a run after the smaller man.

 

_ No wonder no one talks to him. He’s a witch, and he’s been taking care of me.  _ Eren’s stomach tightens as he realizes he is now in the debt of a witch, traveling into a legendary forest alone with him.

 

After some time they are in the Forest, deep enough to lose sight of the town through the trees. Levi keeps running though, so Eren does the same, nearly losing sight of him multiple times.

 

“God damn, Levi, slow down!” Eren shouts, nearly tripping over a tree root. Surprisingly, Levi does slow to a stop, and Eren leans against a tree for support as he catches his breath. “Why didn’t you tell me that you’re a witch?”

 

Levi looks at Eren in exasperated confusion, his chest rising and falling heavily with each breath. “Are you really asking me such a moronic question?”

 

“I—“ Eren sputters, mouth agape. “I just—I thought that since—you—“

 

“Let me guess,” Levi sneers, his eyes bright despite the growing darkness of the forest. The setting sun is steaming in through the treetops, weakly illuminating their surroundings. “You thought that since you trusted me so easily, I would do the same to you. You believed I’d share my darkness with you as you’ve let me glimpse yours.” Levi gets close to Eren, his face inches away from the younger man’s. “You know  _ nothing _ of me, you frightened boy.”

 

Eren huffs weakly, tears brimming in his bright, sad eyes. Levi’s glare bores deep into him, and without thinking, he punches the witch, landing cleanly on his cheek. Levi stands still, stunned, and Eren looks at his shaking hand; it’s covered in his own blood and that of John’s, and now Levi’s cheek is marred by the mixture. “Levi, I’m—“ He’s cut off by Levi spinning around and swinging the heel of his boot into the side of Eren’s head, bringing the brunette to his hands and knees. Eren’s ears are ringing, and his tears fall, landing on his hands and the dying leaves beneath him. “I’m sorry,” he whimpers. “I’m so sorry.”

 

Levi says nothing, only walking onward. Eren scrambles to his feet and follows silently, only sniffling as he wipes away his tears.

 

-

 

When the sun is finally set and the moon lights the forest for them, Levi stops. “We sleep here.”

 

Eren, silent, nods.

 

Levi sits against a tree, raises his hands together in front of his chest, making a fist with one hand and makes a fist with his right, pointing out his index and pinky finger. “Rest beside me,” he tells Eren in a gentle voice, meeting Eren’s tired gaze with a soft look of his own. Eren hesitates, but does as he’s told, sitting beside Levi, who shuts his eyes. Eren feels Levi’s shoulder against his, and he sighs, exhausted. Levi begins whispering to himself, words in a foreign tongue, something that sounds like Latin but is certainly older.

 

Eren falls asleep, hearing Levi’s hushed voice as he slips into a deep rest.

 

-

 

Morning comes and Levi shakes Eren awake. 

 

“Oi, Eren.”

 

Eren blinks and he sees Levi, close to his face, dark circles under his eyes. “Did you sleep?”

 

Levi straightens and hands Eren an apple. “Eat,” he tells Eren when he stares at the fruit dumbly. “And yes, I did. But I cast a protection charm over us while we slept and it took a lot of energy from me.”

 

“Oh.” Eren takes the fruit and bites into it, and he realizes how hungry he is as he chews. He makes quick work of the apple and soon all that’s left is the core, which he tosses aside. Levi finishes his own and he helps Eren to his feet.

 

“How’s your jaw? I saw John knock a tooth clean out your mouth,” he remarks, tossing his bag over his shoulder.

 

Eren feels around his mouth with his tongue and he makes a quiet noise of surprise. Levi turns to look at his with a neutral expression, eyes widening as Eren tells him, “My tooth grew back.” Levi grabs Eren’s bruised jaw and makes him open his mouth, glimpsing it for himself. He makes a disgusted noise and drops his grip, Eren rubbing his sore jaw. “What does it mean?” Eren asks as Levi begins to walk, quick to fall in step beside him.

 

“It means that you are no longer human, Eren.”

**Author's Note:**

> this is posted from my phone while i’m waiting on my new computer to come so forgive any errors, i’ll try to correct all soon!
> 
> i also already have part of the next chapter written so i intend to update soon!
> 
> much love


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